GAME PREVIEW: WEEKEND ROLLS ON AS AMERKS INVADE UTICA
Rochester tries for bounce-back win over Comets
Feb 15, 2025
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @ Mossbrooks48
The Rochester Americans (29-13-3-1) travel to Utica for the middle outing of a three-game weekend Saturday night against the Comets (17-22-3-2).
The Amerks have faced Utica more than any other team this season, with Saturday marking their 10th encounter of 12 slated for the year and second-to-last meeting at Adirondack Bank Center. In their last encounter on Jan. 29, Isak Rosén scored twice and the Amerks pounced on the Comets with a three-goal first period on the team’s way to a 7-4 win.
LAST TIME OUT
Josh Dunne’s shorthanded goal was the lone tally Friday night as the Amerks saw their six-game win streak come to an end with a 5-1 loss to the Syracuse Crunch at Blue Cross Arena. Devon Levi registered 23 saves in just his third regulation loss at home this season. The loss ended Levi’s personal four-game win streak, in addition to the Amerks’ seven-game point streak on home ice, as the club had gone 6-0-0-1 in the Flower City since Dec. 20, 2024.
Dunne’s goal was his seventh of the season and first shorthanded tally of the year, becoming the fifth different Amerk to score while down a man. As a team, the Amerks own the second-most shorthanded goals in the league with nine.
Utica had a long trip (both literally and metaphorically) back from Providence Friday night as the Comets also dropped a 5-1 final, failing to top the Bruins on the road. Comets captain Ryan Schmelzer netted the only goal for Utica, while Nico Daws surrendered four goals on 37 shots in net.
The loss ended a four-game point streak for Utica, which had gone 3-0-1-0 prior to the beginning of its weekend. New Jersey’s AHL affiliate returns home to host Rochester, but will go another month before hosting consecutive home games again as Utica plays six of its next 11 games on the road.
NO EXCUSES
Despite entering Saturday with the third-best record in the AHL, Amerks first-year head coach Michael Leone did not mince words when discussing Friday’s loss.
“We were terrible,” said Leone. “We were soft, and we didn’t compete. Just not good enough. When the game got hard, we didn’t respond. We didn’t have enough guys in the fight.”
The Amerks average nearly 32 shots on goal per game, but managed 24 Friday against the Crunch. The power-play, which had been heating up the back half of January, has now gone scoreless in its last 11 tries. Rochester remains in a positive position within the standings, but the concern is more based on effort, not results.
“You’re going to lose games you deserve to win and sometimes you’re going to win games you deserve to lose,” said Dunne following Friday’s contest. “Tonight, we didn’t deserve it. We got out-competed and it showed.”
The Amerks will look to avoid consecutive losses. Since December, the team has dropped back-to-back games just once, doing so in late January against Hershey and Providence, respectively.
MR. SANDMAN
During his postgame press conference Friday, Leone confirmed that goaltender Felix Sandström will start Saturday night in Utica. The 28-year-old will see the net for a 15th time this season, with Sandström showing a 9-4-1record while wearing the red, white, and blue.
The 10th year pro is amid a career-best six-game win streak, having won every start made since Dec. 14. Of those half-dozen victories, three have come within the North Division, including an overtime win over Utica on Dec. 28. Sandström is 2-1-0 against Utica this season and had only faced them once before during his time with Lehigh Valley.
The Gavle, Sweden, native last started Feb. 1 in Syracuse, matching a season-high of 36 saves in the Amerks’ 4-3 overtime rally against the Crunch. Sandström is 8-1-1 on the road this season.
WHO’S THE HOME TEAM?
The Amerks have been road warriors all season long, but their success in Utica predates the 2024-25 campaign. Rochester has won each of the four games played at Adirondack Bank Center thus far this season and have won a remarkable 14 of the last 15 games against the Comets that have taken place in Utica.
Collectively, the season series has been a one-sided affair, with Rochester owning an 8-1-0-0 mark on the Comets. Since the start of last season, the Amerks have gone 16-4-1-0 in 21 games against their intrastate adversary.
Rosén has piled up points on the Comets with 10 (6+4) this season, while Lukas Rousek remains close by with nine points (1+8). As a team, the Amerks have dominated in the scoring department, topping Utica by a 40-21 margin.